BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Randy Howell made a very visible charge and was the unofficial leader as anglers made their way from Lake Guntersville to the BJCC Arena for the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.

That, of course, was unofficial. We would eventually have that status confirmed when the weigh-in was done. The answer began to fall in place at 4:30 p.m.

6:28 p.m.: Edwin Evers left the BJCC with the lead Saturday night. He'll leave in second place as his 18 pounds and 5 ounces left him short of overtaking Howell, the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic champion.

"I just can't believe it," Howell said. "God is so awesome. When it's His will for it to happen ... It's nothing I did. I just went fishing.

"I just can't believe it," he continued. "I just won the Bassmaster Classic. I don't win tournaments very much. I just can't believe it."

6:26 p.m.: Howell has one more bullet to dodge. Randall Tharp got 15 pounds and 7 ounces and thus doesn't overtake the man from Springville.

"I just never could get it together," he said. "I had a chance today. That's all you could ask for."6:23 p.m.: Ott DeFoe came in with 43 pounds and 5 ounces. He wound up third, adding 20 pounds and 1 ounce for 63 pounds and 6 ounces.

6:19 p.m.: Jason Christie has had the biggest rally in B.A.S.S., but not today. His catch of 8 pounds, 11 ounces left him with 51 pounds and 9 ounces.

6:17 p.m.: Paul Mueller is a fulltime fishing guide. He apparently knows how to find them, catching 24 pounds, 11 ounces to fall just shy of taking the lead with 66 pounds and 8 ounces. That puts him in second place, 1 pound and 1 ounce shy of victory.

6:13 p.m: Howell is now in the hot seat.

"This is the most sick feeling I've had in my life," he said of waiting to see if he might win. "I've cried about 10 pounds of snot and I don't have another Kleenex."

Casey Ashley came in at No. 6. He fell to No. 7, finishing with 67 pounds and 9 ounces.

5:48 p.m.: Keith Combs made the cut at No. 25 through Day 2. He moved up to 16th with 14 pounds and 14 ounces today for 49 pounds. Now come the Super Six.

5:45 p.m.: David Walker quickly took over 13th place as his 16 pounds and 15 ounces gave him 51 pounds, two ounces overall.

5:43 p.m.: Ish Monroe moved into 13th place at this juncture. He caught 16 pounds and 4 ounces on just four fish today for 50 pounds and 9 ounces.

5:40 p.m.: Coby Carden had a particularly frisky fish, one that prompted him to say, "I can't even catch them out of the live well."

The Shelby resident caught 12 puonds and 2 ounces today for a total of 46 pounds, 9 ounces. 5:37 p.m.: Fred Roubanis still has the largest single catch of the weekend. But he caught 14 pounds and 4 ounces today for 49 pounds, currently at 13th.

5:30 p.m.: Bobby Lane said his daughter prayed that he would wind up in the top 10. So far, that prayer appears to be answered as his 21 pounds today takes him to a sixth-place 56 pounds and 7 ounces.

5:28 p.m.: David Kilgore opened the tournament on his birthday. The 6-foot-9 angler caught 24 pounds and 13 ounces today for 60 pounds, 7 ounces, good for fourth.

5:26 p.m.: Morizo Shimizu played around a little with the crowd, first pulling out a smaller fish before lifting his really big one. that brought him to 53 pounds and 10 ounces, good for seventh place.

5:15 p.m.: Aaron Martens of Leeds said he lost two big ones today and three yesterday. He wound up with 18 pounds and 5 ounces for 55 pounds and 10 ounces for fifth place now.

5:08 p.m.: Todd Faircloth used a catch of 23 pounds and 8 ounces to rocket into second place with 61 pounds and 1 ounce.

But he didn't stay there long. Auburn University's Jordan Lee tacked 24 pounds and 10 ounces onto his two-day total for 62 pounds and 1 ounce to take second place.

4:57 p.m.: The streak of anglers taking the lead ended with Terry
Scroggins. He caught just one fish today. "I swung for the fence and I
struck out," he said of his choice to fish in the deep grass.

But
Randy Howell brought that streak right back as the crowd roared. The
man who caused the buzz of the day hauled in 29 pounds and 2 ounces to
go from 11th to a solid first place at 67 pounds, 8 ounces.

"This
morning, I had an overwhelming urge to go to Spring Creek," he said.
"It wasn't even my plan. I know it was the Lord leading me to go there.
It was the best day of my life fishing."

Brandon Palaniuk was next, turning his 16 pound, 13 ounce catch took him to fourth at 54 pounds and 6 ounces.

4:54 p.m.: Adam Wagner was ninth when he left the dock this
morning. Now, at least for a short time, he's on top. He caught 20
pounds and 2 ounces today for a total of 59 pounds and 2 ounces.

4:52 p.m.: Jonathon VanDam is taking his turn at the top of the
leaderboard. His 14 pound catch today takes him to 39 pounds to 53
pounds and 5 ounces.

4:50: Chad Morgenthaler was the first angler to take the stage. He took the lead as the 6 pound, 9 ounce catch of today pushed him to 47 pounds and 12 ounces. That lead certainly won't last long.